Chum Darang gets candid about the biases she has encountered and passionately advocates for greater inclusivity in the entertainment industry.
Chum Darang, who hails from Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh, has opened up about facing discrimination in the showbiz world. In an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, the actress got candid about the biases she has encountered and passionately advocated for greater inclusivity in the entertainment industry.
“With a face like this, I think discrimination has walked along. I’m being very blunt right now. It is true that we do look a bit different. People are not aware of the region that I come from,” Chum told us.
Chum, who has been vocal about representation and inclusivity, stressed that while change has begun, there’s a long way to go. “I’ve been saying this for a very long time that inclusivity should be there. It’s high time. I know it’s there. Now that I’m a part of this industry, I can surely say that it is there, but it should be there on a larger scale. This is a very important medium. Everyone watches the Cinema, TV. So this is a very important medium and this has a lot of reach. So if inclusivity is done on the right page, I think it will reach the masses and people will be more aware about a lot of things,” the actress added.
Chum also pointed out that these biases often limit opportunities for actors from the Northeast, making it difficult to break through. “We need risk takers to change this narrative. If we are willing to accept change and if we are willing to risk even a little bit, then things would definitely change. It is disheartening. Let’s be very honest. But I truly hope it changes,” she shared.
“I’m getting a lot of offers but those are not very nice. And from the very limited things that I get, I have to choose. That sometimes becomes a little discouraging for people who come from our region,” she added.
Chum also made it clear that she does not want to be a part of a project which stereotypes people coming from the Northeast. “I would not want to do stereotypical roles. I can only vouch for myself. I can’t speak for others, but I really would want people to just be choosy when it comes to representing or going out there. If I agree to do something that doesn’t meet my standards, I would never do that. It does create a thing in somebody else’s head. Then they keep writing the same things for people like us,” she said.
Chum Darang shared these thoughts while promoting her recent collaboration with Glow & Lovely’s campaign, ‘Apni Roshni Baahar La’ — a nationwide movement encouraging women to lead with authenticity and purpose.
Talking about the campaign, Chul said, “It is a beautiful campaign, which I have been a part of.. It speaks about bringing your inner light out and being a part of this campaign makes me happy. It is something so important that everybody has to understand and inculcate that thing in their daily lives. It’s a very beautiful message.”
